The American air defense system intercepted two of the three drones that challenged a U.S. base in eastern Syria, according to a television report cited by Al Jazeera based on anonymous American sources. A separate report also stated that U.S. air defenses engaged and downed two of the three unmanned aerial vehicles that targeted a facility in eastern Syria.
Earlier coverage attributed the information to Al Mayadeen, noting that two American military installations in the Omar and Koniko fields in Deir ez-Zor province were struck by rockets on the evening of March 24. Sources on the channel indicated that eight missiles were directed at Koniko, with some landing near the base and others hitting the area surrounding it.
Prior to these events, the Pentagon conducted air strikes on sites in Syria linked to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to statements from Washington. The strikes were described as targeting facilities associated with IRGC affiliates operating in the region.
On March 23, an American contractor was killed and five U.S. soldiers along with another American contractor were wounded in a drone assault on a base run by the U.S.-led international coalition in northeast Syria.
Responding to these incidents, at the direction of President Joe Biden, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized U.S. Central Command forces to carry out precision air strikes against eastern Syrian facilities used by groups aligned with the IRGC. The actions underscore ongoing tensions in the region and the willingness of U.S. military authorities to employ force to counter perceived threats from militant networks operating near American installations.